Adrianna Tan
First meal in Singapore:
Imperial Sky Pavilion
Good quality ‘zi char’ (Malaysians call this ‘dai chau‘, HK-ers call this ‘dai pai dong’
When I’m in Singapore / Malaysia / HK this style of restaurant is my default daily dinner type of place coz there is so much craft and everything is so high quality and it is also more affordable than a normal restaurant
Left: wat dan hor 滑蛋河粉
Right: the restaurant made their own tofu and then braised it and topped it with crab sauce.
Adrianna Tan
Second meal in Singapore:
Peranakan food at Godmama
Peranakan is one of my fave cuisines in the world and almost impossible to get outside this region. The original fusion cuisine (of Chinese and Malay food).
I wish I could more easily get Peranakan Indian and Arab foods (like in Penang)
Adrianna Tan
@kambingramah yep same
daniswara
@skinnylatte blue rice is so interesting. is it made with blue pea flower (bunga telang)? in indonesia, anything blue in food or drinks is usually a bunga telang thing
Adrianna Tan
Chwee kueh (Chinese idli!) is one of my fave breakfast foods
Little steamed rice cakes with a side of savory radish and spicy chillies
A Teochew classic breakfast
Unlike idli, they’re not fluffy, they’re more.. jiggly?
Adrianna Tan
My mum’s heirloom family recipe: kong bak bao
Hokkien braised pork buns
Adrianna Tan
@iris_meredith that’s the Hokkien version, it’s called kong bak, not hong shao (mandarin)
Iris
@skinnylatte Do I also espy some hongshaorou?
Adrianna Tan
@iris_meredith also different cooking methods. Similar, but regional variations
Iris
@skinnylatte
Ah, good to know! My knowledge of sinitic languages is... not the best
Adrianna Tan
@samebchase they’re only similar in that they are also made of rice (but not lentils) and same shape
But diff texture (not fluffy more gelatinous)
Samuel Chase
@skinnylatte wow TIL!!
(I knew that idlis were from SE Asia (assumed Indonesia), but was unaware that they are a part of Chinese cuisine as well)
Adrianna Tan
I feel like in most places, other than India and Pakistan and Malaysia, a freshly made naan in a real tandoor, and keema, would cost a lot more than US$4
SnackTraces
@skinnylatte got me drooling here
Adrianna Tan
When I’m outside Singapore / Malaysia, the cuisines I miss most are our local fusions:
This is Indian Muslim food, primarily made by Singaporeans / Malaysians of a North Kerala Muslim background, their foods fused with local Malay flavors and ingredients and maybe even some Chinese.
Left: roti John. Bread is a ‘white people food’, like a the eponymous John, probably a British colonial type from the last. It’s like a savory French toast. Seriouseats / Kenji has a recipe for this.
It’s one of my fave foods.
Right: Indian Muslim ‘rojak’ (rujak). A combination of delicious foods, fried.
Everything in Tekka is delish
Das
@skinnylatte foods of the people who worked the rubber plantations. Indian but not, Malay but not - just incredibly tasty.
Adrianna Tan
@SRDas I feel like the rubber plantation folks have a slightly different culinary history. More the lower caste indentured labor from Tamil Nadu, so food more like mutton chukka and other Erode/Kongu type food
The Indian Muslims were largely traders
Adrianna Tan
@SRDas not as present in commerce (not often something you get at a stall), possibly also because of caste reasons
But these are interesting:
https://www.periuk.my/origin/tamil
We also have more Jaffna Tamil food, like idiyappam, but with different Malaysian sugars (we call it putu mayam)
Das
@skinnylatte ah makes sense - that nuance, difference in the food in that region I was not aware of. I was incorrectly connecting the rubber grown in Kerala (not in TN) and people+cuisine to the Malay peninsula - but yes the indentured labor of the British Malay boom was more from TN. (Kerala) Traders would have brought spices.
How has the Kongu Erode food morphed? That style spicing for meats but with soy sauce and other Malay, Chinese ingredients? Any specific dishes, standouts?
Adrianna Tan
@SRDas haha yes I also watch this Malaysian Malay YouTube chef called Che Nom. She goes ‘put twenty Birds Eye chillies..’ and I do maybe 8 but yeah
Das
@skinnylatte oh wow this is awesome! Thanks! I've worked my way around Chettinad, Erode Madurai, Trichy food a bit. And only tried very few real Malay dishes.
And ok wow this recipe for beef ! 😳 Now I'm getting a better understanding of what your incendiary levels are
Adrianna Tan
@SRDas periuk has great Malay recipes
Adrianna Tan
My hot take on food is the fast food sushi (Sushiro) is 80% as good than most of the $200 per person sushi spots in Singapore
Adrianna Tan
Tofu ice cream being churned
Nick Clarke
@skinnylatte sigh
Adrianna Tan
@nickolasclarke I think he moved to a new place and name in South Bay
Adrianna Tan
Stumbled across this lovely, futuristic specialty coffee place that’s got good coffee and matcha on tap. It’s from Kyoto
The prepared coffee is good too
Adrianna Tan
I’m a little reticent to share, but I think that Peach Blossoms is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the world, and certainly one of my faves.
Make a booking for lunch, dimsum like you’ve never had it before. I think the chef is one of the chefs to watch in the Chinese chefs world
Adrianna Tan
I think Singapore has some of the most exciting ice cream and gelato shops
I like Birds of Paradise, particularly their white chrysanthemum with cocoa nibs, and their macadamia nut blue pea flower flavors
Several locations but this one is particularly well placed due to proximity to an exciting vibrant area (Haji Lane)
Adrianna Tan
One of my favorite noodle shops
It’s hot and dank but I’ll do it for Heng Kee
Adrianna Tan
Tanjong Pagar has an incredible range of Japanese and Korean restaurants
Shin Katsu is one of the best katsu spots I’ve been to anywhere
Adrianna Tan
Last day to have breakfast that I actually enjoy
Adrianna Tan
@n1vux I found it hilarious that the Japanese grocery store I go to has little smoked Gouda pieces wrapped like candy.
I would have preferred those to actual candy even as a child
Bill Ricker
@skinnylatte
:-o
I'm fascinated by the phrase
"smoked cheese french toast".
(with what I pay for grocery-^gourmet^ smoked-Gouda locally, I'm unlikely to be trying to replicate this, alas.)
(your travel eatery photos are inspiring, and delightful.)
Adrianna Tan
I told my aunt that I once had to make my own pineapple jam from pineapples to make pineapple tarts because I was homesick at Lunar new year
She sent me home with four boxes she’d made
Adrianna Tan
My mom made tofu pudding for her friends
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